Brendan Behan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brendan Behan
|
|
|---|---|
Behan (left) with actor Jackie Gleason in 1960
|
|
| Born | Brendan Francis Aidan Behan 9 February 1923 Dublin, Ireland |
| Died | 20 March 1964 (aged 41) Dublin, Ireland |
| Occupation | Writer |
| Period | 1942–1964 |
| Genre | Poet, novelist, playwright |
| Subject | Irish republican struggle, often autobiographical |
| Notable works | The Quare Fellow The Hostage Borstal Boy |
| Spouse | |
| Children | Blanaid Behan |
| Parents | Stephen Behan (father) Kathleen Behan (mother) |
| Relatives | Dominic Behan (brother) Brian Behan (brother) |
Brendan Francis Aidan Behan (born Francis Behan) (BEE-ən; 9 February 1923 – 20 March 1964) was a famous Irish writer. He wrote poems, short stories, novels, and plays in both English and Irish. Many people consider him one of Ireland's greatest writers of all time.
He grew up in Dublin, Ireland, in a family that loved Irish history and culture. From a young age, he enjoyed literature and traditional Irish songs. He became involved with youth groups and, later, spent time in prison. While there, he used the time to study and became very good at speaking the Irish language. After being released, he lived in different parts of Ireland and even spent some time in Paris, France.
In 1954, Brendan Behan's first play, The Quare Fellow, was shown in Dublin. It was very popular. A later production in London in 1956 made him even more famous. In 1958, his play in Irish, An Giall, opened in Dublin. An English version, The Hostage, also became very successful around the world. That same year, his book about his life, Borstal Boy, was published and became a best-seller everywhere.
By the early 1960s, Behan was at the height of his fame. He spent more and more time in New York City. He even met famous people like Harpo Marx and Arthur Miller, and a young Bob Dylan followed him around. However, his health began to get worse, and his later books did not receive as much praise.
Contents
Brendan Behan's Early Life
Brendan Behan was born in Dublin on 9 February 1923. He came from an educated working-class family. His mother, Kathleen Behan, had two sons from her first marriage. After Brendan, she had three more sons and a daughter.
The family first lived in a house owned by his grandmother. Brendan's father, Stephen Behan, was a house painter. He used to read classic books to the children at bedtime. Their mother, Kathleen, would take them on tours of the city, pointing out places from famous stories. She was also a friend of the Irish leader Michael Collins. Kathleen later wrote her own life story, Mother of All The Behans, in 1984.
Brendan Behan wrote a poem called The Laughing Boy when he was just thirteen. This poem was a tribute to Michael Collins, whom his mother affectionately called "The Laughing Boy."
Brendan's uncle, Peadar Kearney, wrote "The Soldier's Song." This song later became the Irish national anthem, Amhrán na bhFiann. His brother Dominic was also a songwriter. Another brother, Brian, was a well-known activist, speaker, actor, and writer.
In 1937, the Behan family moved to a new housing area in Kimmage, Dublin. Brendan left school at 13 to become a house painter, just like his father and grandfathers.
Brendan Behan's Youth and Learning
Brendan Behan joined Fianna Éireann, a youth group linked to the Irish Republican Army. He published his first poems and stories in the group's magazine. In 1931, he also became the youngest person to have a poem published in The Irish Press newspaper.
At 16, Behan traveled to England. He was arrested there and spent three years in a youth prison called a borstal. He wrote about this experience in his famous book, Borstal Boy. While in prison, he studied a lot and became very good at speaking the Irish language.
After he was released in 1941, he returned to Ireland. He was arrested again in 1942 and spent more time in prison. He was released in 1946. By the age of 23, his active involvement with these groups was mostly over.
Brendan Behan Becomes a Writer
Behan's time in prison was very important for his writing. While in Mountjoy Prison, he wrote his first play, The Landlady. He also started writing short stories. His first short stories and poems were published in a literary magazine called Envoy. Some of his early work also appeared in The Bell, a leading Irish literary magazine. After his release in 1946, he spent time in areas of Ireland where Irish is still spoken, and he began writing poetry in Irish.
In the early 1950s, he moved to Paris, France. He felt he could be more free there and focus on his art. He managed to earn a living. Later, he returned to Dublin and started writing seriously. He wrote for important newspapers like The Irish Times. In 1953, he wrote a story series called The Scarperer, which was later published as a book.
Brendan Behan would often wake up early and work on his writing until noon. He also started writing plays for radio. His play The Leaving Party was broadcast. Dublin in the 1950s was a place where many writers spent time in pubs. Behan became known for his lively personality and often met other writers like Flann O'Brien and Patrick Kavanagh in pubs.
His writing career really took off in 1954 with his play The Quare Fellow. This play was inspired by his time in jail. It shows what prison life was like before an execution. The play uses lively and funny conversations to show the sad reality of capital punishment. It was first shown in Dublin and ran for six months. In 1956, it opened in London and later on Broadway in New York, making Behan famous around the world.
In 1958, his Irish-language play An Giall (The Hostage) opened in Dublin. This play is about a British soldier taken as a hostage by an Irish group. He falls in love with an Irish girl working as a maid. Their innocent love story is a contrast to the serious situation around them. The soldier dies by accident during a police raid, showing the sad human cost of conflict. Behan later wrote an English version of the play, The Hostage, which was also very popular.
His book Borstal Boy was also published in 1958. This book is a detailed account of his time in a youth prison in England. It showed the world a unique and powerful new voice in Irish literature.
Brendan Behan's Personal Life
In February 1955, Brendan Behan married Beatrice Ffrench Salkeld. She was an artist who drew plants for The Irish Times. Her father was also a painter. They had a daughter named Blanaid in 1963, shortly before Brendan's death.
Brendan Behan's Later Years and Passing
Brendan Behan found fame difficult to handle. He was diagnosed with diabetes in 1956.
People expected him to be a witty and lively character, and he often played that role. He once said, "There's no bad publicity except an obituary." However, his health suffered, and he had regular health problems. His later books, Brendan Behan's Island, Brendan Behan's New York, and Confessions of an Irish Rebel, were dictated into a tape recorder because he was too unwell to write or type them himself.
Brendan Behan passed away on 20 March 1964, at the age of 41, in Dublin. His funeral was very large, with many people attending to pay their respects.
Brendan Behan's Works
Plays
- The Quare Fellow (1954)
- An Giall (The Hostage) (1958)
- Behan wrote this play in Irish and then translated it into English.
- Richard's Cork Leg (1972)
- Moving Out (a short play for radio)
- A Garden Party (a short play for radio)
- The Big House (1957, a short play for radio)
Books
- Borstal Boy (1958)
- Brendan Behan's Island (1962)
- Hold Your Hour and Have Another (1963)
- Brendan Behan's New York (1964)
- Confessions of an Irish Rebel (1965)
- The Scarperer (1963)
- After The Wake: Twenty-One Prose Works Including Previously Unpublished Material (published after his death – 1981)
Music
- Brendan Behan Sings Irish Folksongs and Ballads Spoken Arts Records SAC760 (1985)
- The Captains and the Kings
Biographies about Brendan Behan
- Brendan Behan – A Life by Michael O'Sullivan
- My Brother Brendan by Dominic Behan
- Brendan Behan by Ulick O'Connor
- The Brothers Behan by Brian Behan
- With Brendan Behan by Peter Arthurs
- The Crazy Life of Brendan Behan: The Rise and Fall of Dublin's Laughing Boy by Frank Gray
- My Life with Brendan by Beatrice Behan
- Brendan Behan, Man and Showman by Rae Jeffs
Images for kids
-
Behan (left) with actor Jackie Gleason in 1960
-
Study from life of Brendan Behan by Reginald Gray, 1953 (Egg tempera on wood panel)
-
Grave of Brendan Behan by Clíodhna Cussen, Glasnevin, Dublin. A bronze likeness of Brendan's face was stolen from the vacant opening in 1984. It was restored in 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Brendan Behan para niños
